One approach to providing electrical connection to circuits of a circuit board is known in which an electrical connector is mounted along an edge portion thereof. The connector includes a plurality of electrical contacts secured in a housing, with respective first contact sections in electrical engagement with exposed contact pads or plating material of through holes along one or both major surfaces of the circuit board proximate the edge surface. The connector includes a mating face for mating to another electrical connector such that second contact sections of the contacts become mated with corresponding contacts of the other connector. The first connector may be a receptacle connector mounted to an edge of a daughter board, while the other connector may be for example a header mounted on a mother board, with the boards to be oriented at right angles in their interconnected condition. One such connective arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,634,816. Another arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,820 in which the electrical interconnection is provided by a blade portion of the receptacle connector having contact portions therealong received into a contact-bounded slot of the header, while a portion of a daughter board edge is disposed alongside an outer surface of the header. One product system is sold wherein the header receives a board edge portion into a slot thereof, the AMPMODU Two-Piece Interconnection System sold by AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. as Part Nos. 532975-7 and 532955-7.
Mechanisms are known that lock a card or board to a card edge connector upon insertion of an edge portion of the board into a card-receiving slot of the connector for contacts of the connector to engage circuit traces of the board exposed along the major surface or surfaces at least proximate the edge. One such mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,468, in which opposed pairs of pivotable arms proximate each end of the edge-receiving slot include facing latch projections associated with holes through the board near its edge, with the pairs of arms moved upon being cammed to rotate toward the board for their latch projections to enter the holes from both sides of the board, and remain in place until cammed outwardly by an actuating mechanism. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,756,694 and 4,781,612 related to memory modules, resilient latch arms of an edge-receiving connector housing are integral with the housing near either end of an edge-receiving slot, extending from the slot bottom, with latch projections entering associated board holes for locking from a common side upon full insertion of the board into the slot. The latch projections intrude into the slot from a common side, and the latch arms are deflected by the board edge portion during board insertion, and resile toward the board upon full insertion. Anti-overstress surfaces are provided on the housing adjacent each latch arm to limit the extent of deflection of the latch arms during board insertion.
Discrete latch members are known conventionally with respect to board-mounted headers matable with cable connectors, latchable to end portions of upwardly facing end faces of the cable connectors upon full mating. Such latch members are generally pivotable toward each other for latching, and pivotable away from each other for delatching to unmate the connectors when actuator portions extending beyond the connector end faces and outwardly are manually engaged. Further, it is known to provide ejector feet on the latch members adjacent the bottom of the connector receiving slot that, when the latch members are pivoted outwardly, urge the connector end face upwardly to initiate unmating of the connector from the header and disengage the mated contacts. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,241,966; 4,410,222; 4,447,101; 4,579,408; 4,761,141; and 5,021,004.
It is desired to provide a mechanism for positively securing a daughter board in its interconnected relationship with the mother board at right angles, as protection of the interconnection against the effects of vibration and physical shock, where the daughter board is the type having an electrical connector mounted along an edge portion and matable with a header of the mother board for defining the electrical interconnections with the mother board, without the securing mechanism utilizing any portion of the receptacle connector.